Instagram to now show ads on Explore page

Facebook-owned photo-messaging app Instagram has decided to start displaying advertisements on its Explore page to target users who access the section to discover new content.

Even though the ads would not appear on the Explore grid itself, they would appear once a user taps on an Explore post and begins scrolling through that discovery feed.

“Explore is where people are really open to discovery and that’s why we’re really excited about this, where people are most receptive to advertising,” The Verge quoted Susan Buckner Rose, Director of business product marketing, Instagram as saying on Wednesday.

To open the Explore ad to everyone, the Facebook-Instagram team would be working with select partners over the next few weeks.

According to Rose, since there was “nothing particular” about the Explore grid that prevented the team from starting ad placement there, it is still unclear why the grid is being left untouched, at least at this moment, the report said.

Currently, the photo-messaging app with over one billion users already allows ads as part of its Stories and regular feeds.

Explaining Instagram’s decision, the report said that the platform is an ad-run business that needs to meet brands’ expectations.

As more advertisers come to Instagram and Facebook, it only makes sense that the platform would look for more untouched digital real estate, it added.